“An external GPU (eGPU)-powered Apple Display won’t be among the things announced at WWDC 2016,” Rene Ritchie reports for iMore.
“It sounds cool,” Ritchie writes, “but I asked around, and it’s not happening at the keynote or any time in the immediate future.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Cue the sad trombone.
SEE ALSO:
Apple preps external 5K display for WWDC reveal, may feature dedicated GPU – June 2, 2016
Apple, how about a little love for pro Mac users? – June 1, 2016
Isn’t this how using a second iMac as a display already work? Meaning, I used to use an old iMac as a second display at work. The video card failed on that iMac and I could no longer use it as a second display. I always assumed its video card was somehow being magically used to run it as a display.
There are 4K Displays available today that can be driven by any Mac with Intel Iris or better graphics for street prices from $450-600. And Apple is still selling the outdated LED Cinema for $1,000 complete with an outdated integrated Bus.
The GPU idea is interesting, though.
The GPU idea is interesting but probably something that Apple would quickly drop support for. Then, you would be stuck with an obsolete, unsupported GPU in your display.
Apple is the king of only supporting products for a limited amount of time.
Sure. Just look at the upgrades for late model iPhones /sarcasm
Sure, the iPhone is a prime example of Apple’s sealed architecture design. You seem completely safisfied with relatively buggy but free software updates. But for advanced users, iPhone hardware comes with some user-unfriendly limitations. Greed drives Apple to deny people the ability to:
1) replace the battery without expensive service or toolkits
2) add user-expandible memory via MicroSD or other common methods
3) offer commonly available ports or low-cost adapters/connectors to support external accessories. Instead, Apple shuns industry standards like USB and Firewire so they can implement licensed Dock and Lightning and me-too magnetic Surface-like Smart connectors. Accessories instantly overpriced. Apple charges $50 for a poorly designed adapter to export HDMI video to a large display.
4) make it difficult to add/improve iPhone optics without expensive whole-case solutions.
5) Intentionally limit users’ ability to remove apps that he doesn’t want.
All this stuff is just fine for the average mobile phone user, but it’s a non-starter for laptops or desktops, which is where Apple seems to be in freefall.
Of course not silly people! Why should Apple market a product pro users are clamoring to get?
Is this even a surprise?
Without Jobs, Cook now has to wait to see what the competition is doing first so they can copy it.
No Jobs, no vision at Apple.
Always struck me as a stupid idea. Most people keep displays for far longer than the lifetime of a graphics card and to have an embedded GPU would automatically limit the life of the display far more than by having an external card – particularly given the budget GPU components Apple tends to favour.
I tend to agree. Most people would prefer that the monitor be simple, reliable, and relatively devoid of internal smarts. But of course we all know that Apple hasn’t sold a pure display for the better part of a decade. Apple essentially has been selling MacBook docks with DisplayPort and now Thunderbolt connectors.
Apple is being left behind. If Apple doesn’t deliver some innovation in the display market anytime soon, then there is really no incentive left for anyone to buy Apple’s overpriced outdated units.
What’s most concerning is that there is no known technical reason why Apple couldn’t offer a 27″ 5K display in a thin iMac case right now. The GPU could be upgradeable and support industry standards too. What could possibly be taking so long for Apple to catch up with 4K + resolutions that everyone else offers? People have been asking that question for over a year now. I think the answer is that Apple leadership doesn’t understand the needs of users — they act like they are just an iOS company distributing 3rd party apps and media through pink and gray thin flat handsets and jewelry now.
Thanks for nothing, Cook.
I thought the GPU wasn’t going to be used for games and that it was just going to be used to drive the display and the Mac’s built-in GPU would handle the rest
Yes, you homophobic jerk, it’s Cook’s sexual preference that is the cause of all of Apple’s woes. That’s as stupid as saying the horrible “hockey puck” mouse was all Jobs’ fault because he was pursuing his vegan food agenda.
Let’s face it. Apple is focusing all of its efforts at mass market products, at the expense of the so-called “Pro” community. Never mind that most of today’s pro users don’t need anything more powerful than a 27-inch iMac with an external drive or two. Making specialized Pro computers for “bleeding edge” professionals in video production or scientific research probably just isn’t worth the ROI.
Sad, but true.
I prefer the Apple Cinema display with its six year old technology. Apple’s going old school and everyone should be thankful for it.